


Down They Fall

by palmsandsunshine



Series: Closing the Breach [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Chuck's a douche, F/M, Herc's okay, Raleigh's awesome, Yancy can be cool too, and Mako, and Max, are pilots and sailors the same thing, because they are technically sailors, but he's weird most of the time, but she's my emotional little shit, except Raleigh, eyyy Elian's an emotional little shit, imma just say they are because Jaegers fight mostly in water anyways, pretty much everyone, tendo too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:10:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8840527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palmsandsunshine/pseuds/palmsandsunshine
Summary: Perhaps God just thought Ellian's life needed more excitement.Or in which the training process is a bitch but who cares when you've got the bestest friends! (But fuck you all, stop being mean to Janet.)okay but don't read this if you'll get connected; I'll probably never finish it but I've worked too hard to delete it





	1. Character and Jaeger Guide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a Character and Jaeger Guide. 
> 
> There is a story in the next few chapters, don't worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll fix everything up soon.

**CHARACTER GUIDE**

(Original Characters)

 

All ages are as of August 2025

 

**Ellian (Eh-Lee-An) Rodriguez Makiyak (F)**

FaceClaim: Kylie Verzosa  
Age 26, born on April 19, 1999  
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines as a full Filipino. Only child  
Father left at young age. Mother’s maiden name; Rodriguez. Father’s last name; Makiyak  
Speaks Tagalog, English, and Japanese.  
Enjoys music, and is a self-taught dancer  
Joined Jaeger training at age 16, became Pilot of Midnight Imperial (left hemisphere) at age 19.

**Janet Kolsuni (F)**

FaceClaim: Pia Wurtzbach  
Born on September 29, 2001  
Pilot of Midnight Imperial (right hemisphere)  
Expert in jujitsu and loves playing instruments  
European descent, born and raised in Manila  
Youngest pilot besides Chuck Hansen (became ranger at age 17)

**Fallon Argentina (M)**

FaceClaim: TBA  
Age 29, born on January 5, 1996  
Born in Virginia to a Vietnamese mother and white military father. Eldest son with 2 younger sisters.  
Speaks Spanish and English  
LOCCENT Control officer on Pilot Vitals. Joined Jaeger Academy same year as Ellian

**Marci Sloannken (F)**

FaceClaim: Lily James  
Ellian’s best friend  
Born and raised in Denmark. Moved to Alaska before K-Day  
K-scientist, works at Honolulu Shatterdome  
Age 25, born December 28, 1999

**Oscar Sanchez (M)**

FaceClaim: Ben Affleck  
Age 46, born May 30, 1979  
Mexican-born. Divorced with two kids.  
First commanding LOCCENT officer.  
Friend and confidante of Ellian

**Jack Godfriaux (God-Free-Oh) (M)**

FaceClaim: Derek Hough

Pilot (right hemisphere) of Hawkins Vengeance  
Fraternal of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Godfriaux, born on October 30, 1995.  
Age 30.  
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon.

**Elizabeth “Lizzie” Godfriaux (God-Free-Oh) (F)**

FaceClaim: Julianne Hough  
Pilot (left hemisphere) of Hawkins Vengeance  
Fraternal Twin of Jack Godfriaux, born on October 30, 1995. Age 30.  
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon.

 

Characters TBA: Kaia Saitō and Kasai Kojima, and Marshall James Esther.

 

 

 

**JAEGER GUIDE**

**Midnight Imperial (Mark 3)**  
One of three Filipino Jaegers, stationed predominantly in Manila, Tokyo, and New Taipei. Also travels to Kodiak, Alaska USA.  
Piloted by Ellian Makiyak and Janet Kolsuni, friends who met at the Jaeger academy  
Special Weapon: Blinding Smoke and Plasma Cannons  
Nuclear Powered, 100% titanium body armor, fastest Mark 3 ever  
Decommissioned in July 2021 due to extensive damage to arms, torso and conn pod. Damage later repaired. Killed four Kaiju before decommission.

 **Hawkins Vengeance (Mark 4)**  
One of eight American Jaegers, stationed predominantly in LA, and Kodiak. Also travels to Hong Kong, China  
Piloted by fraternal twins; Jack and Lizzie Godfriaux (God-Free-Oh)  
Special Weapons: Enhanced arsenal with plasma cannons and missiles. Tank-like, bulky and bottom-heavy. Not built for speed.  
Irreparable damage to central power system, and conn pod.  
Last mission: February 29, 2020. Killed third Kaiju before power core collapsed and killed pilots.

 **Nova Prometheus (Mark 3)**  
Only Chilean Jaeger. Stationed in the small Concéption Shatterdome, but travels to Cabo and/or Ensenada, Mexico for repairs.  
Piloted by husband-and-wife team Antonio (right hemisphere) and Mariana (left hemisphere) Vasquez.  
Nuclear-powered, light on feet and very structurally sound. Made for running and tackling Kaiju.  
Special weapons: Bladed fists (AKA Wolverine’s Claws), added spring in jumps.  
Killed seven Kaiju before small radiation leak killed Mariana Vasquez. Antonio retired, later dying of cancer, and Nova Prometheus was decommissioned after repair.

 **Titanium Vulcan (Mark 2)**  
One of five Japanese Jaegers, stationed predominantly in Tokyo, Okinawa, and Shanghai.  
Piloted by Japanese cousins Kaia Saitō and Kasai Kojima


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a prologue! Not the actual story yet.

I was told that God controls our lives.

Our every move, every step, every thought, was encrypted into our souls since the beginning. We were just robots following a very specific code.

Then, others told me that God simply placed us here. We were just experiments in a huge fish tank, and God throws a stone at us to see if we’ll still stay faithful or survive.

A test.

We’re the lab rats, He’s the scientist.

Either way, He controls what goes on in our lives. Perhaps He just thought mine needed more excitement.

August 10, 2013. Also known as K-Day. I was only twelve when the first Kaiju hit San Francisco. But that day would shape my life forever.

The 7.1 earthquake sent a tsunami to every coastal town on the pacific rim. In San Francisco, a monster also followed.

I was at my aunt’s house in San Diego, celebrating her birthday. A football game was playing commentary that provided a comforting background buzz. I flipped through the channels aimlessly every few minutes. The news station was playing a weird interview with this child card-house building prodigy.

Suddenly, it was cut off with the breaking news screen. I, having been distracted from my game of dolls and fighter pilots with my little cousins stood up and turned the TV volume up. The large monster was breaking the Golden Gate Bridge!

I had remembered going there just a year before, during my summer break. I had taken a picture with my arms wrapped around the thick suspension wires, and my fingers couldn't touch. And here I was, watching a Godzilla-like creature snap them with the tips of it’s fingernails.

The parents soon picked up on what was happening. The kids were all rushed upstairs, away from the TV. I didn't need to see what was going on to know what my mother was thinking. She was worried the monster would come down to San Diego.

I was distracted from my game for the rest of the night. My mostly-boy group of cousins didn't care.

I wasn't that close with any of them. Sort of the outcast, you could say. I was just visiting from Manila, and they had only seen me once or twice before, when they were only four or five.

I was also much older than them, by about eight years.

I sat at the window and watched the coastline, and the boats cruise by.

When I woke up the next morning, we still weren't allowed downstairs. My mother had brought up pancakes for my cousins and I; a rare treat for all of us. Our parents were working-class. They simply didn't have the time or money to make pancakes every day.

I guessed the war was still going on. A week later, my parents and I headed back home to Manila. I had heard of the destruction, and sympathized with the families in the San Francisco area.

Later on, I heard that only a nuclear bomb took it out in the end. Life soon returned to normal. I learned about the day in school, and bragged to my friends about how I was in California the day it first hit.

Perhaps karma came back to bite me in the ass. Around six months later, the tsunami sirens rang through the city. I was terrified; my mother and stepfather watched those old war movies, and Manila used the same sound as the incoming bomb sirens in those movies. (Just listening to those sirens made me fear the worst.)

Of course, I had every right to, and my fears were completely correct. It was another Kaiju. We were rushed out of the school into the front yard. Fighter jets of different countries were flying up above, shooting anything; bullets, missiles, even sacrificing themselves and their own planes in a desperate attempt to save the citizens. Helicopters landed in the street, in front of our school. Officers were directing the adults to get as far away as possible, and the children from the school were being ushered into the helicopters.

I heard someone scream “Thirty minutes to detonation!” That caused the officers to move faster, barking orders, and urging everyone to move faster.

Of course, I had seen and learned about what needed to take a Kaiju down. And I saw the destruction a nuclear warhead caused. I started screaming, kicking, crying out in Tagalog, begging for them to get my parents. I knew that they didn't understand me, but I didn't care.

My mom worked in the building directly next to my school. There was no way she could make it out of the blast radius in time, especially with the roads being helplessly congested with traffic and packed with families rushing out of their apartments.

When I realized that officers only packed children into the helicopters and rescue vehicles, I knew she had no chance.

I was dragged into the open doors, which shut quickly, and kids were banging on the doors, begging to get in. The helicopter was packed as right as it could get.

I pushed my way to the window, tears still streaming down my face. As my home town slowly faded into the distance, a bright flash blinded me for a second, and I turned back to see a huge cloud rising into the distance, slowly forming into a mushroom.

A shockwave pushed outwards, and shook the helicopters following our chopper, before finally reaching us, making everyone stumble. The little kids who didn't know what was going on and cried out in despair, clinging to the older teenagers, even if they didn't know them.

None of us from the high school minded. We all needed the comfort. And then I felt incredible rage.

How _dare_ these people take me away from my hometown? I should have died alongside my other classmates and mother. Why should only a select few survive while the others are left to burn?

Rage gave way to sorrow, and in that moment, I swore to myself that I would do anything I could to get rid of these Kaiju.

 

 

\--- A U G U S T • 2 0 1 5 ---

 

 

“Lights on, trainees! Marshal wants you at the Kwoon in ten,” the metal door was hit hard, creating a loud clanging noise to resonate through the room.

The harsh fluorescent lights flashed on, causing a chorus of groans to fly into the cold room.

One teenager got up, running her hands through her hair tiredly and made her way to the washrooms, brushing her teeth with a bright blue toothbrush on the small shelf in front of her. She washed her face quickly, drying it off and brushing her hair with a comb that was next to her toothbrush.

She made her way back to her bunk, slipping on worn combat boots, tucking in the hem of the camouflage joggers that she was wearing. She made sure her gray tank top was smoothed down, and exited the room before many of the other recruits had even sat up.

She stood in the middle of the mat, standing straight and at attention in front of two commanding officers, one being Marshall James Esther. He was a tall, muscular man that was quite scary when you got on his bad side, but was a true fluff ball on the inside.

The other was the commanding LOCCENT officer, who was tapping away at a tablet.

The teen stood there for a few tense minutes. After none of the recruits still came through the Kwoon entrance, Marshall Esther sighed.

“At ease, Makiyak.”

Her posture relaxed and she let out a sigh, looking to the door. “May I check and see what’s up with them?”

“Of course. Oscar, go with her.”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded her head slightly and waited at the entrance for Oscar, the officer who stood next to James.

Oscar let out a sigh through his lips. “Whatddya think they’re doing this time?”

“Probably still sleeping.”

Oscar let out a snort. “You have very little faith in your classmates, Ellian.”

Ellian held out her hand as the door to the bunks opened. Everyone was still asleep, pillows and sheets thrown over their eyes and ears in the bright room. “Do you blame me?”

Oscar rolled his eyes. “I get it, I get it. You were right,” he pointed at the group. “But a bunch of lazy initiates means hell for Marshall Esther.”

Her eyes rolled quickly, and Oscar barely catches it. “Hey. Don't disrespect your elders,” he playfully scolds.

“As if. I’m probably more mature than you have ever been.” Oscar sent Ellian a childish grin.

“Can’t argue with that logic. You need to loosen up a bit, miss ‘by the book’.”

She sighed, grabbing one of the mops in the corner of the room, banging the handle against a metal pipe protruding out of the wall. “Wake up, asshats! Marshall wants us in the Kwoon in five minutes, or you’re all disqualified!”

Some of the more serious (pffft. None of them took this seriously.) initiates shot up and made their way quickly to the bathroom, freshening up. A few of these were the Becket boys, the younger of which threw his pillow onto one of the friends they had made, Tendo Choi.

Tendo groaned, making a show of shoving the pillow off his head and pouting, before both Becket brothers shoved him off his thin bed and he plopped onto the cold linoleum floor.

He shrieked, standing up quickly, and pulling his blanket off the bed, wrapping it around himself as his two best friends laughed at him.

Ellian smiled and left the room with Oscar trailing behind her. “How long you think it’ll take before they all get up?”

“All of them? Thirty minutes.”

“Really? _That_ long?”

Shrugging, Ellian rounded the corner into the Kwoon. “What can I say, from what I’ve seen so far, I have _incredibly_ low standards.”

Marshal Esther rolled his eyes and scoffed as he caught wind of the conversation. “Look who’s talking. You’re averaging a ninety-eight percent in your Jaeger Bushido tests. I’m _ashamed_ of you,” he shook his head in mock disappointment. Oscar tapped the top of his clipboard with his pen twice, smirking at Ellian.

The teen in question let out a loud groan. “Don't remind me! I keep making the same mistake over and over again. I promise I’ll get it right next time.”

"Ellian, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You’re only sixteen, and you’re the best in this trainee group by about six percent.”

“And the others are able to slack off, miss an hour of the class, and still get low A grades and high B grades. I’m working my ass off, and what do I get? A ‘near perfect’. That’s practically a ‘ _you still weren't good enough_ ’ in Asian terms.”

"But you have to remember that drifting requires both mental _and_ physical stamina; both of which you have. You’re our most promising candidate this year. You may not have come with a partner like the Becket boys, but you’ll be an incredibly viable asset to the PPDC.”

Ellian opened her mouth to object, but more of the candidates rounded the corner and entered the Kwoon, talking and joking loudly, cutting her off. “We’ll talk later, Ellian,” Marshall James Esther said, resuming his military stance, his hands crossed at his chest, Oscar at his side.


	3. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellian gets through some trouble on the first week of the Jaeger Academy. But hey, at least she makes some friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oi! Beware of some violence, 'kay?  
> It's nothing too serious, I don't think, but just be careful. I know some of y'all get triggered WAY too easily.

The candidates, as usual were slacking off. Some of them were actually practicing the exercises, but the others were just goofing off with the bushido staffs, and talking off to the side. Some of the more ballsy ones had even started sneaking off to the mess hall, or back to the bunks.

  
Ellian had been paired up with the older Becket brother, Yancy, and a young cadet Janet Kolsuni, and Raleigh had been forced from his brother's side and over to a separate mat with Tendo and a random twenty-two year old. The five of them had been close ever since the beginning of the season, and Ellian found herself becoming quite fond of their company.

  
Ellian and Yancy both held the hanbōs in their hand, holding a defensive position, and trying to get a read on each others’ strategies. Janet’s job (for now) was to make sure nothing went wrong.

  
Yancy made the first move.

  
His arm shot out, the staff following his movements, and Ellian moved her hanbō to meet his, blocking a definite shot to her face. Using her small, agile frame, she ducked under his arm, landing on her knee, and swung her hanbō to his toro, but that was intercepted by Yancy’s pole.

  
She quickly tumbled backwards, expecting Yancy’s swing which just barely grazed her chin. Pushing herself back up into her feet, Ellian finally landed her first point by faking a hit to his torso, but stopping her staff just inches away from his temple.

  
“One, Zero.”

  
Yancy raised an eyebrow and looked down at her stomach. Her eyes followed and landed on the pole that was positioned for a strike to her stomach.

  
“One, One.”

  
She smirked. “Okay, okay. I see how it is, Becket. You wanna play dirty.”

  
She spun her staff, knocking the hanbō out of Yancy’s hand, and claiming a stance, the tip of the bamboo pole now on the other side of his head.

  
“Two, One. Get your game up.”

  
He picked up his hanbō slowly, watching her with a reluctant eye. He nudged the bamboo pole next to his head away, sliding into a stance, his “sword” sheathed.

  
Ellian swung for his torso, but he “unsheathed” his staff, blocking the hit, and using the distraction to shove her backwards, watching as she tumbled onto her back. His hanbō stopped just above her nose.

  
“Two, Two. Looks like I’m actually keeping up with you, Ellian.”

  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked, accepting his hand to pull her up.

  
Yancy shrugged, placing both palms on his staff, which stood upright in front of him. “You’re the best here.”

  
She hit his newfound support system, causing it to fly out of his reach, and swung at his face, snickering at the surprised look on his face. “Have any proof?”

  
“What you just did.”

  
Rolling her eyes, Ellian decided to be fair and tossed the hanbō over to Janet, who caught it easily. Pulling her hands up in fists to cover her face, Ellian slipped into a defensive position. Yancy smirked. “Wrestling, huh? Good. This is the style I’m best in.”

  
“Me too.”

  
“ _Shit_.”

  
She tackled him to the ground, using her forearm and all her weight on his chest to keep him from getting up. Unfortunately, all 119 pounds of her couldn't stop Yancy from rolling over and pinning her down.

  
Finally, after struggling for a good few seconds, she laid her head on the mat and tapped his shoulder twice.

  
“Two, Three. Thought you said you were good at this.”

  
As soon as she shifted his weight and let his guard down, she kneed him in the gut and pushed him off of her, standing up in a ready position triumphantly.

  
“Three, Three. And yes, I am.”

  
He rolled around on the floor, clutching his stomach, as Janet and Ellian watched him in amusement.

  
Ellian kneeled down at his back as he curled into a fetal position on his side. She nudged his back twice with her knuckles. “Given up, pretty boy?”

  
His hand snapped backwards and wrapped around her neck, flipping her over into the mat. Before he could pin her down, Ellian rolled backwards on her shoulder and ducked under the incoming blows. Finally sensing a pattern, she dove under his arm and locked her elbow around his neck.

  
“Four, Three.” She released his head. “Nice try, Yancy.”

  
He shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks, hot-shot. That was the hardest fight I’ve been in since ninth grade.”

  
Ellian laughed openly. “That explains a lot!”

  
“What?”

  
“You’re strong, but you punch like a teenaged girl!” Some of the cadets turned to her, surprised to hear the normally incredibly-serious Ellian Rodriguez-Makiyak laughing. And during a spar, too!

  
Yancy huffed in annoyance, but couldn't prevent the small smile from creeping up on his lips.

  
“Janet, your turn. Who do you want to spar?”

  
The young teenager (She was only fifteen when she enlisted) smiled. “Definitely not Ellie!”

  
Yancy groaned loudly, standing up with help from Ellian. “ _More work_!”

  
“How did you make it past week one?”

  
“That’s a question I wonder myself, Makiyak.”

 

 

  
\--- S E P T E M B E R • 2 0 1 5 ---

  
Yancy was given hell by Tendo and Raleigh for “getting beat up by a girl” but a swift smack to their heads by both the girls shut that down quickly. Ellian ended up “accidentally” tripping Tendo into Raleigh when she caught them both giggling, threatening to take them down.

  
Ellian turned the corner, just leaving the mess hall to spend some time in the bunk room alone. No one was in there at this time, usually preferring to socialize with their friends while eating. The hallways were particularly empty, too, as the workers and officers were all crowded into the hall. That was also another reason Ellian preferred to stay out of the mess hall at this time. It was much too crowded.

  
Also, getting into the Mess Hall early meant that Ellian had her pick from all of the foods that the chefs prepared. No one had taken any food before her, save for a few LOCCENT officers that needed to take an early watch, so Ellian was able to pick any food and choose the best fruits. Being the earliest riser on those mornings they were given free time also meant that she had more opportunities to read a new book from the library, or pick up a new hobby. Of course, most of the time, these free hours were spent learning new strategies for battle, or studying Kaiju biology, so that if she couldn't find a drift partner, she still had enough knowledge on Kaiju to become a K-Scientist.

  
As Ellian walked one random Thursday morning, she had a book clutched in her hand, open to a random page towards the end; an ending that she had read through and cried about a hundred times before. The book was incredibly special to her. It was one of five of her mom’s college books, and had been left at Ellian’s aunt’s house in San Diego, so it wasn't incinerated during the first Manila attack.

  
Her head snapped up when she heard laughter and talking coming from the opposite side of the hallway.

  
A group of rowdy boys rounded the corner, the noise hitting Ellian like a tsunami from the vast contrast of quiet in the halls.

  
She squeezed into the cold metal wall of the living quarters, but the boys took notice and stopped her in her tracks.

  
The main jerk, Jakob, smirked and stepped closer to Ellian: a space that she considered her personal bubble, and one that no one should trespass into.

  
“Well, well, well, boys. What do we have here?”

  
His stupid little followers jeered and laughed. Jakob stuck his finger underneath Ellian’s chin and forced her to look up. “A little bitch in her natural habitat,” he smacked the book out of her hands, and it fell to the ground with a thud. “Holding a goddamn _book_ like the fucking teacher's pet she is.”

  
Ellian crossed her arms, glaring defiantly at Jakob. “What the hell do you want?” She hissed venomously.

  
“To do this,” he punched her in the stomach, and Ellian lurched forward, soon punching him back.

  
His friends held her back, and Jakob continued the assault on her gut, occasionally landing a punch to her face. “That’s for stealing Esther’s favoritism.” Ellian furiously screamed and kicked at anything nearby, but the boys were just too strong. A hit struck her lip, and Ellian was sure she saw stars.

  
‘ _At least I landed a punch_ ,’ Ellian shrugs internally.

  
“The only one who wants you here is Esther, and you're probably sleeping with him,” one of the boys spat. That comment really hit home for Ellian, and she struggled harder against the restraints on her arms.

  
Suddenly, the hall was engulfed in red light and a siren sounded through the entire building.

  
“ _Shit_! Kaiju alarm.”

  
“Get out of here! The officers are gonna come through here soon!”

  
She was suddenly slammed against the metal wall, seeing a flash of black and white, and fell helplessly to the ground, her book torn, ripped, and trampled in front of her. She reached out weakly, her hand trembling as she strained, and shook pulled the book closer to her, clutching it to her chest. The bruises on her cheeks and stomach were throbbing painfully, and the torn cut on her lip was slowly dripping blood onto the cold, concrete floor.

  
Soon enough, officers poured through the hall, taking immediate notice to the girl lying on the ground. Many became extremely concerned when they found out it was Ellian; one of the star students.

  
The lifted her up onto a stretcher that had been fetched from one of the storage closets nearby, but before any of them could get Ellian to the Medical Hall, she finally passed out.

  
Word had quickly spread about Ellian’s incident. Of course, no real proof had arisen that it was Jakob and his gang, but everyone, including Marshall Esther knew the truth.

  
Marshall was furious.

  
As the students lined up in the Kwoon, Marshall Esther’s intense bitch-face drove them into an uneasy silence. There was a slight sense of ‘Why the fuck are we just standing here?’ Of course, the Jaeger crews and other workers running frantically past the Kwoon entrance didn't help.

  
Everyone took notice of the empty spot, right in the front row.

  
After a Jaeger team was dropped, and things had finally calmed down outside the Kwoon, Esther finally spoke.

  
His voice wasn't booming with anger, but instead was quite calm and collected, which was even more terrifying.

  
“ _Now_ ,” he growled, walking down the steps of the front of the room and stood in Ellian’s spot. “If you would all be so kind, as to to please tell me why one of my best students is in the Medical bay with two cracked ribs and a concussion.”

  
The cadets responsible looked down to the floor. Jakob tried to look normal, but even his ego couldn't protect him from Esther’s fiery glare. He finally caved and looked down.

  
Marshall exploded. “Cadet Gillmore, I want an explicitly detailed explanation of your motive to do this! If there is anymore injuries to Makiyak that you caused, your actions today, and misbehaviors since the very beginning of this program can cause you to be kicked out!

  
“Ellian is one of our best, and if you cannot handle being a runner up, I suggest you leave. This is a war. Kaiju don't care about your rank in life. They just want you dead.”

  
The room was silenced with guilt for a second, and the walls reverberated the empty nothingness tenfold.

  
“I want everyone back in the bunk rooms _now_!” He barked, and in a spur of action, the cadets rushed out of the Kwoon and down the hallway to the bunk rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
“Hey, hot-shot.” Yancy greeted Ellian in the medical bay, sitting down at the seat next to her bed. Janet, Raleigh, and Tendo stood behind him, all wearing sympathetic smiles.

  
Ellian chuckled, although the action hurt her chest a bit. She waved in a small gesture and let her hand fall limply back to the bed. “Hey.”

  
“What day is it?” Tendo asked.

  
“Really? Going medical on me now, Choi? It’s Thursday.”

  
Tendo screeched. “ _What_?! No it’s not?”

  
Ellian raised an eyebrow. “Really? How long have I been out?!”

  
Janet smacked him upside the head. “You asshat. It’s Thursday, Ellian. Ol’ Tendo over here’s just being a jerk.”

  
“ _Hey_!”

  
“Like always,” Yancy added.

  
“I’m hurt, you guys,” Tendo exclaimed, a hand over his chest in mock pain.

  
Ellian snapped her fingers. “Oi! Not as much as me! Stop trying to steal all the attention from me,” she struck a pose, trying not to upset her ribs.

  
“You feeling okay?” Raleigh asked, his eyebrows knotted with concern. “You look pretty bruised up.”

  
“In other words, you look like shit. _Ow_!”

  
Janet pointed an accusing finger at Tendo. “ _One_ more time, Choi. I _swear_.”

  
“You wuss!” Raleigh chortled, nudging him with his shoulder.

  
Ellian rolled her eyes and nodded. “I’m fine, ‘Leigh. Just a night’s rest and I’ll be back in the Kwoon kicking your weak brother’s ass.”

  
“Not so fast, Makiyak,” the doctor stepped into the room, flipping through the pages on a clipboard. “You’ve sustained a pretty heavy concussion, and a few cracked ribs. You’re stuck on the sidelines for at least a week or two.”

  
“But what about the training-”

  
“You’re far enough capable to be able to learn the strategies by watching. You should be able to be released tomorrow night. Can you guys keep her awake for an hour or two? Just to check?”

  
The group turned to the Doctor, all offering small smiles and nods. “Sure, doc.”

  
“Great,” he opened the door, leaving a foot in before he added parting words. “ _Don't let her fall asleep._ ” He closed the door quietly after him.

  
“You hear that, El?” Tendo joked. “No getting lazy on us, now! _Ouch! What the fuck, Jan_?! When did you get so _strong_?!”

  
“You’re welcome, Ellie.” Janet sent Ellian an accomplished and childish smile, dusting her hands off. Raleigh laughed when Tendo rubbed his stomach with a groan. Tendo glared at him, and then Ellian when she responded.

  
“Appreciate it, Jannie.”

  
“ _I don't_!”

  
“Yeah, but no one cares about you, Choi.”

  
“ _Yancy_?! You’re participating in this, too?!”

 

 

 

 

 

  
Later that night, the group hung out in the mess hall for their dinner. The conversation seemed awkward, however, without Ellian butting in with snide remarks or smart-assed comments about how they were wrong about something. Time passed slowly, and they left the table, one certain member breaking off as the others were heading to the bunks, and going to a room in the Medical Bay.

  
Raleigh opened the door slowly, popping his head in and smiling at Ellian, who was sitting on her bed, her legs swung off the side, and back in her blue jumpsuit. A nurse held her hand as she was about to stand, and Raleigh rushed forward to grab her other hand.

  
“Have you tried it yet?”

  
She shook her head. “Doc said I should take it easy. Says the room might spin, and my chest will hurt.”

  
“So…?”

  
“I’m ready.”

  
She slowly shifted her weight forward so her bare feet touched the cold, linoleum floor. She pushed off the bed, the room spinning just as the doctor said it would. She swayed lightly, but Raleigh held her steady.

  
He held her breath until she finally found her balance again, and let the air out slowly.

  
“Step one, thirty minutes in,” Raleigh mumbled, causing Ellian to laugh. “Did you have dinner yet?”

  
“After I argued with the doctor, and he agreed to let me spend the night in the bunk rooms.”

  
The nurse finally let go of Ellian, but Raleigh kept a firm grip on her forearm, taking the pill bottles for the nurse and promising to have El take them later.

  
“I don't need painkillers,” Ellian protested as Raleigh slowly led her out of the room.

  
“ _Sure_ , El.”

  
“Don't give me that tone!”

  
“These are for your concussion. Should ease the headaches.”

  
Ellian sighed before nodding her head. “What happened to Jakob and his gang?”

  
“Jakob was removed because he caused another fight during lunch. His gang quit after that.”

  
“Oh, thank the lord,” she breathed out. “Hey… d-does everyone think that I’m a teacher’s pet?”

  
An eyebrow raised in surprise. “But you are…?”

  
“I mean like in a bad way,” she corrected exasperatedly, glancing into the darkened Kwoon, which was devoid of any people. They also passed the gym room that many people didn't know was there, but Ellian had found out about, and used it to relieve her frustrations.

  
“No! We all know you’re incredibly passionate about this, but that doesn't mean that’s bad.”

  
She nodded and gently pulled her arm away from his grasp. “I think I’m okay now.”

  
He sent her a wary eye, but continued walking alongside her, just in case she lost her balance.

  
“Dinner was boring without you,” Raleigh added quietly, watching a LOCCENT Officer pass by awkwardly. “Nobody talked much.”

  
“Even Tendo?”

  
“Yeah. Even him.”

  
She shrugged. “I wanted to go in the mess hall, but the nurses literally had to hold me down. I think I gave one a black eye.”

  
Raleigh huffed in amusement before opening the door to the bunk rooms for her, and stepping in.

  
At the noise of the large metal door, the candidates quieted down, and stopped whatever they were doing to look at her. Ellian stood hesitantly for a moment, before taking the first few steps towards her bed. Things slowly returned to normal, and she curled up into a ball once the lights were turned off, the covers draped over her shivering form. She wasn't cold in any way, but the feeling of the tears silently dripping down her cheeks just seemed so foreign.

  
As she curled her arms closer to her body, she could smell that clinical scent still hanging faintly to the clothes she wore, and it disgusted her to a great extent. It reminded Ellian of the fight and the terror of waking up in bright white lights, not knowing where she was.

Ellian didn't even know _why_ she was crying. It just... happened.

  
She was suddenly aware of the presence of someone sitting on her bed. A hand was placed on her shoulder. And then another.

  
She dried her tears before the thin sheet was slowly pulled off her head, and in the dim lighting, she could just make out four forms next to her bed.

  
Janet was kneeling next to her bed, her chin rested on her forearms as she offered Ellian a small look of sympathy. Raleigh was sitting down on her bed, at her back and his arm was placed on her shoulder. Tendo sat on the metal headboard of her tiny bed, and his arms were crossed over his chest. His hair had been washed of the gel, and Ellian noted how he glared at Jakob’s empty bunk. Yancy was sitting on his bed, the one directly next to her’s, but he was sitting up, playing with his fingers.

  
“We’re all here for you, El,” Janet whispered. “All of us.” Janet placed a book on the bed. Her mother’s book. The pages were still ripped, but the thing had been smoothed down to the best of their ability.

  
Ellian nodded in gratitude, her eyes slowly closing with the sudden wave of exhaustion from that day. As she slowly fell asleep, she could still feel that warm hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jakob's an asshole.  
> Yancy's like an older brother.  
> Raleigh's a sweetheart.  
> Tendo's... Tendo.  
> Janet needs to be protected at all costs.


	4. II

Ellian woke up the next morning to see everyone gone. Their beds were undone and scattered with nightclothes as if they had left in a hurry.

The heavy metal door was left open, and the clock on the wall read seven twenty-two. Exactly two hours and twenty-two minutes after she was supposed to wake up. She felt a slight tinge of betrayal, when she realized no one woke her up, but then shot it down with the thought of the Marshall ordering them to leave her be.

She pushed herself up with her hand, swinging her feet off the bed, quickly lacing up her combat boots. She had gone to sleep in her PPDC issued jumpsuit, so she stood up with slight difficulty, her head slightly dizzy.

She freshened up in the bathrooms, tying her hair back in a high ponytail. She turned the tap on warm, waiting for it to heat up, and just happened to look up at her reflection.

_She looked like hell._

Although she had gotten a near ten-hour sleep, it had been restless and filled with nightmares, as evidenced by her red, swollen eyes with just barely-noticeable bags underneath. Her cheek was purple, and the blood from the cut on her lip had finally dried and left a thick, dark red mess.

Letting the steam from the now incredibly hot water fog up the mirror, Ellian ignored the pain when she dipped her hand under the water and washed her face. As the blood washed off her face, it painted the water in a clear pink color. The water made a small whirlpool as it swirled down the drain, taking all her energy with it.

 _Great way to start a day_ , she thought sarcastically.

Of course, rhymes were fantastic. Just about the same level of fantastic-ness as her pounding headache. _God_ , didn't anyone keep aspirin around or something?

Ellian vaguely remembered the nurses telling her to come back to the Medical Bay for a checkup on her concussion. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she took long strides to the medical area, passing only a few people. Just as she was about to pass by the Kwoon entrance, Ellian stopped and turned back around, taking a longer way that avoided passing the Kwoon.

She could hear the sounds of cheering and the faint clack of hanbōs hitting each other.

At least her friends were having fun.

Finally entering the medical bay, she signed in her name and waited for her name to be called patiently, twiddling her thumbs in boredom. The waiting room was pretty much empty, save for a few people Ellian’s never seen before. Judging by the looks on their faces, it was pretty much useless trying to start up a conversation. Ellie wasn't in the mood to make new friends, anyways.

Her name was called by a nurse who was way too happy to be doing what she was doing, and Ellian was led to an empty room. The door was closed behind her, and she sat down obediently, at the request of the nurse.

Ellie grimaced at the familiar miasma of clinical supplies and hand sanitizer (or perhaps rubbing alcohol). At least it wasn't that unmistakable metallic smell of blood. She hated blood.

The doctor came in shortly afterwards, probably taking note of her temper from the previous night. Of course, he still had that quirkiness to his voice that Ellian found to be quite annoying after a while. He was still young, so that could possibly be a major factor as to why he hadn't gottten bored of his job yet. Or perhaps it was just because he spent so much time around giant machines, celebrity ass-kickers (alien… ass-kickers…?), and insane Kaiju groupies. The Marshall was pretty intense, too, but you would never hear anyone talking about him out loud.

His voice tended to slip into a boring monotone, however. At least that seemed more welcoming than an overbearing happiness.

Ellian wondered what happened to that doctor that appeared when her friends visited her. That guy seemed cool enough.

“I need to do a few quick tests to check your concussion, okay?”

And the sickly-sweet voice was back.

God- _fucking_ -damnit.

“Sure,” she replied monotonously.

He took a flashlight and shined it on her eyes, checking the dilation of her pupils. He asked her some basic math questions, and asked her to walk in a straight line. She easily passed all of the tests.

She was released from the room a few minutes later, given a prescription slip and told to get painkillers from the front desk. By the time she completely left the medical bay, it was nearly ten o’clock.

Instead of risking the chance that someone else hated her, she decided to go to the mess hall. In waking up late, she just happened to miss breakfast hour, so the cadets were gone, but some of the J-Techs and K-Scientists hung out there during their breaks. And she had made friends with quite a few of them.

Of course, most of the cadets weren't there. Marshall Esther was still giving them hell in the training room.

She then realized that he was getting them prepared for the half-semester final in October. One-fourth of the candidates would be eliminated one by one, based on their sparring and bushido forms.

Then the next fourth would be eliminated before Christmas, leaving half of the candidates. Those half were guaranteed a spot in the PPDC as K-Scientists, D-Scientists, or J-Techs. The ones that advanced even further could be LOCCENT Officers or even Rangers (although only a pair or two became rangers each year from each class).

She sat at the few tables that the cadets usually claimed, since no Jaeger Logo was painted on the top of those few tables. Ellian considered herself as an idiot for not grabbing a tray of food on her way to the table, and visualized herself just sitting by herself at an empty table, not doing anything. The very image made her wince in self-loathing. Then she mentally added the bruises and cuts.

Yeah, she was gonna start doing something before the image got worse.

Like a saving grace, some of the trainees she knew entered the Mess Hall in a loud group. Apparently, training had ended early. Among the first wave of people to enter was Fallon Argentina, a man who made it known that he was incredibly determined to become a J-Tech. He had just graduated high-school and entered the Jaeger Academy, because his father berated him for not being passionate about joining the Military. After his father died in a Fighter Plane due to Trespasser, Fallon was hell-bent on destroying them.

He was incredibly bright, and Ellian kinda envied him for it. After her high-school was blown up, she was taken into an orphanage for two years with no formal education program. The nuns in charge of the orphanage had done their best job, but they were unprepared to teach subjects at a high-school level.

What Ellian lacked in knowledge, she made up for in cunningness, determination, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly.

And another plus was that the nuns had taught her a bit of Latin, English, and she picked up Japanese in her fascination with anime. Her fighting skills were always okay, but became seriously honed when she joined the academy (after running away from the orphanage, but she didn't speak of that).

Ellian showed up on the doorsteps of the newly-finished Manila Shatterdome, hungry and sick, and was shipped off to LA, where they took notice of her skills and hunger for vengeance. Soon later, they had asked her if she wanted to enroll in the Kodiak Jaeger Program.

Fallon and his best friend Cody turned to her with worried eyes, instead of the bright, mischievous look Ellian had gotten used to. “You okay? Tendo had told me about what happened.”

“Why is everyone so worried about me? I thought everyone knew I fought well-”

“Don't give me that ‘Fine and dandy’ bullshit.”

Ellian’s eyes widened. Fallon never cursed. Despised it, as a matter of fact. So hearing him curse so loudly was quite a surprise.

“Fallon, I-”

“El, it’s okay to let your guard down for a bit. You may not realize, but those eyes of yours can reveal all of your emotions if you know where to look for ‘em,” Fallon said, a small smile gracing his lips.

The PA System suddenly went off, and a woman spoke. “All cadets, report to third deployment bay. Monthly mail has arrived.”

Fallon stood up, offering out his hand. “C’mon. Let's go see if our family left us anything.”

She stood up, taking his hand, and playfully bumping his shoulder as she took off down the corner, Fallon and Cody hot on her heels.

 

 

  
Ellian picked up the small shoe-box sized package that had arrived, opening it slowly, and smiling at the goods inside. Fallon had his box tucked under his arm, chewing on a piece of gum that had to have come inside his mail. “What'd you get?”

“Stuff from my Aunt.” She sorted through the box, a thin stack of pictures revealing her youngest aunt, only twenty-nine, on a bunch of trips with her boyfriend. Next to the pictures was a small ziplock of Ellian’s favorite candies, a few small personal items, and a handwritten note.

She picked it up and read it aloud, setting the box on one of the bases of the concrete supports. “To Ellian, hope everything is going well at the academy. Zach and I went rock climbing last week, and we saw Marlene and your cousins in your mother’s favorite restaurant yesterday. (Well, probably already a few weeks from now, since apparently, they hold these poor boxes captive for a month before giving these to you!) Best of luck, Coralenn.”

She opened the bag of candy quickly, downing a mini Snickers Bar, and sifting through the personal things Coralenn had given her. There was a chapstick, scented lotion, deodorant, and a perfume bottle with a tag that said “Remember this?”, that Ellian immediately recognized, and opened the bottle.

She sprayed some on her wrist and sniffed the comforting aroma, sighing happily.

“What’s that?”

Ellian held out her wrist, and Fallon pressed his nose to it, faintly sensing peaches and something else he couldn't put his finger on. “Smells nice.”

“Yeah,” she pulled back her hand, and checked the label, still smiling. “It was my mother’s perfume.”

She placed the bottle back in the box, and placed the lid back on, shuffling forward with everyone else to their bunk rooms to put their new items in the large plastic tubs under their beds. “I can't believe they still make it.”

“Fallon!”

Both of them turned to say goodbye to Cody, who was heading off to a different mass-bunk room. “Catch up with you later.”

Ellian waved goodbye, and turned back to Fallon. “You two are probably drift compatible. You should've asked for the same bunk room.”

“Nah,” Fallon waved it off. “Cody’s a good kid, but I can't even comprehend what he’s thinking sometimes.”

Ellian caught sight of Tendo and Yancy walking side by side to the rooms, and gestured to Fallon to catch up. Skillfully dodging other cadets, she hopped up on Yancy’s back, practically forcing him to carry her piggy-back style, but he had gotten used to Ellian’s sudden surprises.

Tendo glanced back at Fallon, holding a hand out. “Don't you dare, Argentina. I ain't giving you a piggyback ride.”

Fallon cut between Yancy and Tendo, wrapping his arm around Tendo’s shoulder and placing a hand on Ellian's back, walking with them. “You’ll give in soon, Choi. They all do.”

This, of course, inflicted a laugh from both Yancy, and a stifled giggle from El. Suddenly, a figure hopped up on Tendo, taking him by surprise, and almost pulling him to the ground.

“Janet! Why do you insist on torturing me?!”

Ellian howled with laughter. “Tendo, she's like a tenth of my weight, yet you still struggle to carry her!” Tendo cried out with an indignant “ _hey_!” once again comically overreacting, and tried to pick Janet up without falling to his knees.

Yancy hit Ellian’s calf once with his right hand, forcing her to stop laughing as Tendo finally regained his balance and began walking again. Raleigh ran up behind the two, looking for Janet, and laughing when he took notice of her perched on his Best Friend’s back. “Damn, Janet. You run faster than I expected,” he breathes out, panting lightly.

Yancy eyes the box in his hands. “You got something?”

“Hmm? Oh, no, this is Janet’s box.” He handed it to the teen who took it gratefully. “I really don't think Jasmine is in the mood to send us anything.” Raleigh then turned his gaze over to Ellian, and nodded. “You look a bit better, El.”

“Was that a compliment?”

Raleigh shrugged, waving his hand, beckoning everyone to follow him to the bunk rooms. “First quarter’s about to end, so Marshall Esther’s about to assign us separate bunk rooms. They’re gonna be communal, so we all can have a bunk together.”

Janet snorted. “How many in a room?”

“I think he said six.”

Janet did a quick head count. Three pairs, three bunk beds, six in total. Perfect. “I guess that works.”

“But we still have to make the cut,” Ellian countered.

They all shared knowing glances and burst out laughing.

 

 

\--- O C T O B E R • 2 0 1 5 ---

To absolutely no one’s surprise, all six of them made the first cut, along with about sixty other people. This ended the first quarter, which focused on learning about military rankings and discipline, Bushido Forms, and basic defense forms in combat. A surprisingly easy quarter. What was equally surprising was the amount of people who dropped out. Over twenty. And there was no real combat yet! Just simple forms!

The next quarter would be learning about Jaeger Mechanics, Kaiju Anatomy, and the Drift. All of which spoke “ _TEST_! _TEST_! _TEST_!” to Ellian. Looks like she would spend most of Christmas nursing a serious study hangover.

Ellian’s bruises had faded to a sickly green-yellow, and the cut on her lip had mostly faded. She still had occasional headaches, and everyone knew to steer clear of a chest blow when they sparred every morning, but she still found it hard to breathe after a long run, or a particularly hard spar with some of the cadets who were able to strike more than just a few poses in bushido.

Still, Ellian would brush off any and all concerning looks with a simple look, or in the case of Oscar and Marshall Esther, a quick “ _I’m fine, sir._ ” And she would get especially pissed whenever those in her immediate friend group gave her that look of pity, laced with concern, and wrapped up with protectiveness. Ellian found herself sick of those brotherly-concerned idiots (or more commonly known as Yancy, Tendo, and Fallon). Janet kept her mouth shut to an extent, but only asked when she knew Ellian was in a particularly bad state. And Raleigh still gave her that look, but there was something… different about it.

Speaking of Christmas, Ellian had no idea what she was going to do. Her Aunt Coralenn was going to be traveling throughout December, her two other aunts didn't want anything to do with her, and she had no idea if she had any aunts or uncles on her father’s side. The “Shatterdome” would be open for her, no doubt, so she would probably spend her Christmas all by her lonesome self, or help out with the completion of the ‘dome. It was already a few months off schedule, so Ellian was use they could use the extra hand. Not that she would be much help, with her limited construction knowledge (AKA none at all).

So she would be useless and alone. Unless her friends would be staying. Then just useless.

Ellian did a brain search.

Fallon mentioned going back to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with his mother and two sisters. So that was one down.

Tendo had no real family that he spoke of, but was probably going to get a hotel room in the area and get drunk off his ass for the holidays. Yeah, probably best to steer clear of him. Another down.

Janet was only fifteen; she was barely allowed to enlist in the PPDC, but they had gotten desperate, and she showed promise. Of course she would go back to her parents. She already had the plane ticket to Germany, and promised to take a bunch of pictures. She made Ellian promise she would write back (because Janet’s such a sweetheart, she still uses snail-mail.) Ellian internally sighed. That just left the Becket Boys.

She knew for a fact they had a little sister. But by the way they spoke of her, it seems as if a rift had been opened between them. Their mother had been killed by cancer, and the brothers downright refused to talk about their father. She guessed they had no place to go.

Neither of them would be old enough to drink (but maybe Yancy would, Ellian thinks she heard Tendo and Raleigh planning a birthday party in December), so they probably wouldn't go out. Unless they secretly had the party spirit that Tendo displayed oh-so-blatantly, and would drink underage.

But there was still Halloween...

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the instructor dismissed everyone for the day. Ellian collected her newly-issued textbooks and notebook and walked out of the room with Janet.

Shifting them all to one hand, she walked alongside Janet to their large bunk room, and waited for the instructor to tell them to get into groups of six.

They all had their chosen groups, and the Marshall had made it very clear that the people they had chosen to be with was permanent until the next year, and they were mature enough to resolve conflicts.

As they were all sent off to their assigned rooms, Ellian noticed how they had blatantly passed the ranger’s rooms, which only had a single bunk bed each. The rooms assigned to the groups were specifically for staff, which made sense, since most of them would graduate as J-Techs, or K-Scientists. Only a select few would make it farther to the ranger status.

Ellian found herself falling into step with Janet, which was strange but became quite normal. The Becket Brothers were constantly in step with each other, and Tendo and Fallon were too busy galloping around the group and causing trouble to properly walk, but they seemed close enough that they might've been drift compatible if they spent more time together. But it was a long shot, because Fallon wanted to be a J-Tech, and Tendo wanted to be a LOCCENT Officer, because he wanted to, “Order you incapable idiots around.”

The Marshall asked them to get into groups of six, in which Ellian’s group huddled together as close as possible, unless someone tried to steal the popular Becket boys away, or the sweet and friendly Janet.

Fallon nudged Ellian's arm with his elbow. “Guess I’ll be seeing a lot more of you. Probably more than I can bear.”

“Oh shut up, Argentina. You love me.”

 

 

**Extra Scene:  
(You’re welcome ;))**

Stacker Pentecost should have known by now. Tasmin was not someone you wanted to fuck with.

But he knew how to push her buttons, especially since they had drifted multiple times. And Stacker couldn't help that tiny wave of satisfaction when they drifted every once in awhile. Their Mark-I Jaeger was going to be released in December, so the drift tests were a common occurrence.

But as he sat in the test room, with his hand stuck in a deactivated arm controller, he found himself regretting every single thing he did to piss Tasmin off.

And there she was, holding a bag full of makeup, and a high-def camera around her neck. The room on the other side of the glass was dark and empty.

“Tasmin!”

The woman smirked ruefully. “Payback, Stacks.”

He pulled at the arm brace as hard as he could, but without the doctors and scientists to loosen the machine, he was stuck. “Don't you dare.”

“Oh, I dare…”.


End file.
